Specialized machinery is required in order to produce food products having specialized shapes. In the case of pre-cooked food items, for example meat products, known methods are not well suited for shaping the food item into novelty products. Molding, for example, requires the application of heat and pressure to the components of the food product, which would require that the machine operate with at least partially uncooked or uncured starting material. In addition, for a tubular-shaped or other hollowed-out food product, molding would require the use of a removable insert in order to provide the hollow inner portion of the food product. The use of inserts may cause problems related to consistent placement of the insert within the mold, in addition to introducing the additional challenge of removing the insert from the cooked food item after molding without damaging the food product. A tubular or hollowed-out food product may also be extruded; however, such a process is undesirable because uncured or uncooked starting material is required to facilitate extrusion.
Accordingly, there is a need for an invention for coring food items that overcomes these and other problems present in the prior art.